Television

Monday, May 23, 2016

Federal sentencing reform could reduce costs by $722 million

A criminal justice bill awaiting a vote by the U.S. Senate
would reduce federal prison costs by $722 million over the next 10 years by
releasing thousands of federal prisoners early, according to Reuters.

Federal benefits received by the newly released prisoners
would increase direct spending by $251 million and reduce revenues by $8
million over the same period, according to the estimate by the U.S.
Congressional Budget Office.

The new savings estimate buoyed supporters of the bipartisan
measure to lower mandatory minimum sentences for some non-violent federal drug
offenders, which is central to President Barack Obama's efforts to overhaul the
country's federal criminal justice system and reduce prison overcrowding.

"We have an obligation to change the way we think about
incarceration, and today’s CBO report shows that we have a fiscal obligation as
well," said the bill's co-authors, U.S. senators Charles Grassley, a
Republican from Iowa, and Richard Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, in a
statement.

The bill was revised last month to exclude prisoners
convicted of violent crimes in an effort to garner more support among
conservatives.

Still, its prospects for moving to a full Senate vote remain
unclear. Some key Republican senators are reluctant to support the bill until
it includes changes to "mens rea" laws that govern criminal intent.

About Matt

An analysis of crime and punishment from the perspective of a former prosecutor and current criminal justice practitioner.
The views expressed on this blog are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or postions of any county, state or federal agency.